ICC slammed for blocking Australian cricketer’s show of support for Gaza
Al Jazeera
Khawaja’s attempt to have message of support and peace sign on his boots was blocked by cricket’s world governing body.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has been slammed for showing a “lack of moral standing” after it refused to allow an Australian cricketer to show on-field support for Gaza where more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks.
Australia’s Usman Khawaja had “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” written on his boots in the colours of the Palestinian flag in a training session ahead of the first match against Pakistan earlier this month.
In an emotional post on X, Khawaja later said the ICC “told me I can’t wear my shoes on the field because they believe it’s a political statement under their guidelines”.
He was also reprimanded by the ICC for sporting a black armband, which the batter said was for a personal bereavement.
